A great experience but in need of improved. Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/30/2017 to 12/23/2017 with
Constructor University: Bremen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The Clinical experience I gained and travels made the experience worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was definitely less than the workload at Wellesley but almost all the midterms and projects were scheduled for November. Thus November was particularly busy but other than that the workload was manageable despite having traveled almost every weekend. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was not very responsible and some of the information we received was quite unclear but they were somewhat helpful especially if you were persistent. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were very spacious each person had their own room which was adequately furnished and we shared a bathroom with just one other person. |
| * Food: |
The food was not as varied compared to the options we have at wellesley. Also they had a meal plan system that gave you 12.99 dollars a day for food which was barely sufficient as the meals were charged per item and quite overpriced hence depending on what you got you could spend all $12.99 on a meal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
People were quite friendly and I also had an amazing host family who helped me with integration and learning about the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Germany has one of the best healthcare systems in the world so good healthcare was not really an issue but some of my friends in the program complained about the difficulty involved in booking an appointment with a doctor because of long wait times or finding a doctor who spoke English. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
In my opinion the program highlight was the clinical experience I acquired through the Clinical practicum I engaged in otherwise it was not too different from being at Wellesley other than the fact the Wellesley professors are more personable and helpful. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It was quite easy because I didn't have to spend much as I was provided with food and housing. I would say most of my spending was from my travels to other European countries. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Do not put yourself in debt trying to travel all around Europe if you can't afford ( just because your friends are doing it). Remember you will have always have the chance to go back to these countries in the future when you are more financially well-of. I had to learn this the hard way. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Not very much as English was the primary language used on the campus but we were required to use German during the Clinical practicum when we had to interact with patients. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice makes perfection. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | To start working on projects sooner because unlike Wellesley where you where the coursework (although much rigorous) is spread throughout the entirety of the semester at Jacobs all the work is condensed into the last few weeks before finals hence you could find yourself being very stressed out if you don't start your work early. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
